Medical Error Deaths 4.5 Times More Likely Than IOM Estimate

When the original IOM report was published there was outrage that the equivalent of passenger jets falling from the sky was being ignored by the healthcare industry. 

Many medical errors originate with patient misidentification. Isn't it time we stopped hiding this problem and implemented a solution?

From Becker's Hospital Review:

The number of U.S. hospital patients who die from medical errors each year could be up to 4.5 times higher than the Institute of Medicine estimated in its landmark 1999 report, "To Err is Human," according to a study in the Journal of Patient Safety.

In 1999, the IOM published "To Err is Human: Building a Safer Health System," which estimated that up to 98,000 patient deaths occur in the U.S. per year due to medical errors. This estimate is based on 1984 data from physician reviews of New York hospital patient medical records. Author John T. James, PhD, chief toxicologist for the National Aeronautics & Space Administration and founder of advocacy group Patient Safety America, aimed to update this estimate by conducting a review of studies published from 2008 to 2011.

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